So you finally broke down and replaced your years-old computer to a brand new PC or Mac. After the initial thrill is gone, you're hit with the realization that you have a lot of files in your old computer that you want to put in your new device.

The task may seem daunting but there are programs and DIYs available to help you get the job done right. We have some tips on transferring your old files for both a PC and a Mac.

The PC move

Depending on how much you have to move, either plug a USB flash drive or an external hard drive into you old computer. Move all your files to the external device.

Take the external device out of the USB port in your old computer. Now plug it into your new computer and move the files from the external devices to your new computer. That's it.

Another option is to move everything from your old computer to the cloud through such programs as Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox. There is one caveat to this method, however.

You can use these services for free but they have limited space. After you fill up the space that's offered for free, you have to buy more space.

If you really want to be thrifty you can move as many files as you can into the free space, move them to the new computer, go back and empty the free space and add more files and on and on and on. Obviously this is very time consuming, so you may just want to pony up and buy more space.

The fastest way to move files from PC to PC is with a transfer cable. Connect both computers with the cable and begin transferring files. Because the computers are connected, the transfer process will be faster than using an external hard drive.

Face it, if you want to transfer files from your old computer, you're going to have to put in some money for wither an external hard drive, a cloud storage product or a transfer cable.

The PC to Mac move

You finally obeyed Apple's siren song and purchased a Mac. To some extent, they are very different computers. Will it be impossible to move your files from the PC to the Mac? Not at all.

In fact, you can use the same external device or cloud storing methods you used from moving files from one PC to another. There is one difference that makes the external device method a bit more difficult if you've purchased a new Mac laptop.

The new line of Mac laptops no longer have USB ports. So you'll need to buy a USB adapter, or docking station to connect the two computers. I recommend buying one of those adapters anyway since there are still many traditional products with USB connectors. If you purchased a desktop Mac, the USB ports are still there.

Another way you can move files from a PC to a Mac is by using Mac's Migration Assistant.

The Migration Assistant was first included in the Mac OS X Lion and later operating systems. Chances are you bought a new Mac, so you will have the assistant.

The tool transfers your contacts, calendars, email accounts, and more from a PC to your Mac or from Mac to Mac. The Migration Assistant provides step-by-step instruction on how to use the program.

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